With the NBA postseason right around the corner, the Atlanta Hawks have made things very difficult on fantasy owners dealing with their own playoffs. They have made the decision to bench their key players in an effort to keep them rested and healthy heading in to the most important time of the year.
Al Horford, Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap have all taken turns sitting out over the past couple of weeks with any combination of that All-Star group potentially missing more games the remainder of the way – especially Teague, who is dealing with an ankle sprain. That means fantasy owners must be on high alert at all times, especially in back-to-back sets.
While the star players sit, there has been opportunity created for the players that have filled their roles. Here are the three fantasy options that have benefited the most from the Hawks deciding to bench their stars down the stretch.
Mike Muscala – F
Muscala has averaged less than 10 minutes per game in 31 appearances this season but the fact that Atlanta wants to rest its stars combined with his production in his last game could mean many more looks to come.
The 23-year-old forward scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in a 115-100 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday that included a pair of three-point shots and a solid 53-percent shooting from the field. The Hawks have a couple of options when they decide to sit their stars but since they lack size with any combination of Horford, Millsap and Korver out, there is a good chance we will see more of Muscala as a primary fantasy beneficiary over this final stretch.
Elton Brand – C/F
It’s amazing to think there was once a day where Brand was a dominant fantasy big man who you would consider taking in the first round of your draft but things have changed significantly over the last few years. At 36 years old, there is only so much he can offer. That said, there is a definite need for a big man to fill important minutes if Horford, Millsap and Korver sit and Brand did score nine points while collecting six rebounds and a pair of blocks in 28 minutes against Charlotte. The fantasy relevance is as much about opportunity as it is talent in this situation, so Brand has to be considered a prime option.
Kent Bazemore – G
There is a little more room for guards to show their stuff as there is still a chance that Teague could miss at least a couple more games starting tonight. Bazemore should benefit and he looked good against the Hornets on Sunday. He scored a game-high 20 points along with five rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes of court time and the fact that he can slot in as a versatile guard that can play multiple positions helps. In nine starts this season, he’s averaged 10.6 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 threes, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks. That’s a fairly full sheet.
You better have eyes in the back of your head if Kent Bazemore is on the floor.
— The 1 Seed (@ATLHawks) December 16, 2014
Muscala offers more in terms of size and can be moved around as well but Bazemore is the second-best option when it comes to Hawks that will benefit most in terms of fantasy production with their stars resting down the stretch.
John Jenkins – G
With Bazemore playing a bigger role as a sixth man, it’s unlikely that Jenkins will be a reliable fantasy option but he should certainly produce more than he did when Atlanta was fielding its full roster. Jenkins has averaged just 5.5 points in an average of 11.8 minutes per appearance this season but the Hawks did spend their first-round pick on him in 2012 and should be interested in pushing him a little harder to see how he responds. It’s interesting to note that Jenkins has averaged 12.0 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 threes, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal the two times he’s started this season. If he gets starter’s minutes, he’ll be fantasy relevant.
